RAS question
Laterite soils are found mainly on:
Correct answer: (A) High plateaus in heavy rainfall regions.
Laterite soils are found mainly on high plateaus in heavy-rainfall regions, where intense leaching under wet-dry tropical conditions makes them acidic and nutrient-poor.
Explanation
Laterite soils are linked to high rainfall and elevated plateau terrain because they form where tropical or subtropical conditions bring alternating wet and dry seasons and heavy rain washes soluble material out of the soil. NCERT describes this as intense leaching, which leaves lateritic soils deep to very deep, acidic and generally deficient in plant nutrients. That matches the question's cue: heavy rainfall on high plateaus, such as the Western Ghats, Eastern Ghats plateau areas and parts of North-east India, is the setting in which laterite develops. The other terrains point to different soil environments, not laterite.
Why the other options are wrong
- (B) Desert margins indicate arid soil conditions, whereas laterite needs heavy rainfall and intense leaching.
- (C) Mountain tops above 5000 m are associated with snow-covered conditions rather than the high-rainfall plateau setting in which laterite forms.
- (D) River flood plains are the setting for alluvial soil, not laterite soil formed by leaching in heavy-rainfall plateau areas.
Concept
This tests the Indian geography concept of soil distribution by climate, relief and leaching. It recurs in RAS because soil-type questions often require matching a soil with its formation process and region, not just memorising its name.